Skins C400 Bib Shorts

Australian born company Skins have been making waves in the past few years with their range of compressive travel and recovery products. This year Skins have launched a range of premier cycle clothing using the same graduated compression principles as the recovery products. The name C400, so Skins say, comes from 400 key fitting points which define the cut. With the help of a lengthy list of athletes and a 3D scanner Skins have created a genuinely fantastic fitting pair of shorts. It’s easy enough to find what size you need as they provide a simple to use sizing chart which uses height and weight to put you in the right pair.

Not just happy with being the best fitting pair of shorts I have ever used the C400’s offer a long list of technology and benefits which are all supposed to make us go faster and be more comfortable; graduated compression, bonded seams, 50+ UV protection, multi density and thickness chamois, anti pill fabric in high wear areas, the list goes on.

Throughout test the C400 have been really great performers. The pad is one of the most comfortable I have used and the quality of manufacture and the finish really add to the comfort and experience of using these shorts. Not a single thread has come loose, no pilling on the under carriage and they have even survived a pave crash without mark or incident. When I got up from the crash I was more concerned to check for rips in the shorts than broken bones or bike!

As for the performance enhancing compression I certainly cannot say these have turned me into Andy Schleck over night. The compression is not as noticeable as on the bib longs but you feel nicely supported which also helps reduce fatigue by achieving good muscle wrapping. On the whole the quality of the fit, pad and manufacture are more than enough to warrant buying these so any other small percentage gains are a bonus.

Verdict

A feature packed, fantastic fitting, high performing, excellently made and durable pair of bib shorts. The C400 bib shorts are certainly not cheap but contact points with the bike are important and I wouldn’t think twice about the price if I was off to tackle a Grand Fondo or monster UK sportive

I presume your comment comes from the Body Clones being half the price of the Skins C400's?

When it comes to pricing scale the more you spend the smaller the margins become. Just like with bikes - is a £4000 road bike twice as fast as a £2000 bike, equally I am sure if you look at the performance of a £75 pair of bib shorts it will be a) very good in general and b) not half as good as the C400s.

The C400's offer amazing fit and comfort with a quality of manufacture which makes the £150 price tag acceptable. Its always hard to assess the "value" and "expensiveness" as they are very personal factors. That said I believe the price is completely justified in this case.

But I think where I was coming from was more about where the reasonable or median price is located, which is more why I chose the Giordanas as a comparison.

I think a lot of people would think that a 75-100 pound pair of bibs were pretty top notch and a reasonable amount to pay, so doubling it is OTT. Whereas a 2000 pound bike is going to be mid-range so doubling it is not as questionable or beyond reasonable. That's my excuse anyway !

Again though 2000 would seem like an outrageous amount to spend on a bike to the majority of people in the World and to others would not even be entertained as a winter hack. The debate can go on and on. As a student cyclist living well below the breadline I still thought the 150 was worth it.

No offence taken regards the photo - Mexican wrestling is a hobby of mine

I have a pair of these (mens) and find that the straps are ever so slightly long. My torso is not specifically sort either - in fact if anything my legs are on the short side. This means that the straps can slide over my shoulders, making my wife snigger and say "welcome to wearing a bra". I guess I can go to the gym and bulk up the shoulders a bit, but being a typical regular cyclist I suspect many people have the same build as me.

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